Fatal Care: Six stories you should know about

A father, who can only be identified as Merle, visits the grave site of his infant daughter at the Paul First Nation. The Journal received records for 287 children known to the provincial government who died between Jan. 1, 1999 and June 8, 2013.

Photograph by: Ed Kaiser
, Edmonton Journal

The Journal received records for 287 children known to the provincial government who died between Jan. 1, 1999 and June 8, 2013. In some cases the child’s family situation was under investigation, others were receiving support services at home, and still others had their files closed after they were returned to their families after being in government care.

Here are excerpts from some of the reports explaining what happened to them, and the subsequent investigation:

- A 14-year-old child “experienced cardiac arrest.” The report of the girl’s death says “the Child at Risk Response Team officers were advised by hospital staff that the concerns were deemed ‘medical and not criminal’ and left the hospital and no report was made to the (child welfare agency).” Later the report says “the overseeing doctor advised that this is a ‘classic traumatic injury.’ ... As a result of the current medical issues, the doctor explained that (the child’s) eyes were ‘fixed’ and it was ‘suspected that she might be [censored].” There was no investigation.

- A 14-year-old immigrant girl died prematurely from a treatable medical condition because her impoverished family could neither afford the medications prescribed for her nor bring her to medical appointments, because they had no car. An internal review says “with regular medical attention and medication, (she) may have lived longer. She would have had a more comfortable life.” A language barrier and a lack of familiarity with the family’s religious beliefs interfered with child welfare service delivery.

- An 11-year-old boy died by suicide six months after his file was closed. A review says “many reports with similar concerns were received by child intervention services” but issues were not adequately addressed. The parents’ child welfare files were not accessed, no risk assessments were completed, caseworkers had little contact with the children and did not develop a relationship with them, focusing on the parents instead. “(The boy) demonstrated a number of risk factors for suicide ... (and) had few protective factors. He appeared to have few sources of support.”

- A child who was nearly three years old died from “positional asphyxiation.” The child’s file had been closed the same day that an undisclosed person sought and obtained private guardianship of the child. But an internal review found the private guardianship was “not supported by a thorough home study” and that “the needs of the parents were the primary focus of the interventions and (the child’s) needs were at times placed in the secondary or tertiary position.”

- A 14-year-old girl died by suicide. Caseworkers had recently completed a safety assessment but “difficulty in scheduling home visits with the parents, parents not attending scheduled visits and a lack of follow-through eventually led to the casework supervisor recommending case closure. … The rationale for closing was that this case was viewed as low risk.” Instead of intervening, caseworkers sent a letter to the family detailing available community services.

- A 16-year-old boy overdosed after his child welfare file was closed. The Edmonton Police Service tactical squad came to his basement apartment with warrants for his arrest, but he said he had a weapon and threatened to harm himself. Police set off a flash-bang device, entered the home and found him unresponsive on the couch. He had been in and out of the child welfare system since he was six years old. A special case review was recommended, but not completed. There was no fatality inquiry.

A father, who can only be identified as Merle, visits the grave site of his infant daughter at the Paul First Nation. The Journal received records for 287 children known to the provincial government who died between Jan. 1, 1999 and June 8, 2013.